Appealing a grant decision

If you have reason to believe that one of the below events has occurred in relation to your grant application you can ask for the funding decision to be reviewed.

The preparation of your application was adversely affected by incorrect advice or information given to you by an Australia Council official prior to submitting your application; or

Based on publicly available information, or feedback we provide you after your application has been assessed, you believe the outcome of your application has been adversely affected by matters other than the artistic merit of the application or proposal.

Your request for a review of the decision-making process can be made in writing to the Australia Council’s General Counsel via email at: feedback@australiacouncil.gov.au . Your request must be received within 28 days from the date of the letter notifying you of the decision about your application or proposal or within 28 days from the date you receive feedback about your application.

To be eligible, your request must state the ground(s) on which you believe your application or proposal has been adversely affected and give your reasons for claiming that ground. General Counsel will consider the request to ensure it meets one or both of the above mandatory reasons for a request for review. For your request to be eligible, the reason/s you state must be relevant to the ground/s for review that you have claimed. General Counsel does not decide the merits of the request. If your request is found to be ineligible General Counsel will advise you in writing of the reasons for that decision.

If your request, and grounds for the request, supports one of the above reasons, the request will be forwarded to the Decisions Review Committee to make a determination. The Decisions Review Committee is made up of a minimum of three Australia Council Board members. The Australia Council’s Decisions Review Committee’s function is to review the decision-making process for a particular funding decision to ensure that correct procedures and due process have been followed, not to reconsider the artistic merits of an application.

If your matter is referred to the Decisions Review Committee you will be advised in writing, within 28 days of their meeting, of the outcome.

Alternatively if you wish to provide feedback to the Australia Council on the grant assessment process please refer to our Feedback Management Policy.

Council has forged partnerships with some of the best residency providers in the world to deliver a suite of residencies that enable the development of individual artists, arts mediators, groups and organisations.